A/N
Hello again. Welcome back to uh. This. Helloooooooo.
I reread everything to this point and good lord did plot continuity ever exist XD
Here's a recap:
Sigyn, good girl. Dad, bastard. Mum, coward. Brother, purest soul in the universe. All belong to Lodora. The Takis of Pemica try to take over. Sigyn beats them, dad murders her girlfriend, she runs off, and here we are!
And to everyone going wtf that aint what happened, bish stfu it's called a summary. I know it's more convoluted than that. Also I woke up like an hour ago and had takeout for breakfast with an apple, so I'm a little bit friend.
Also I'm the writer so like, your opinion on the story is invalidated. Well not the story. The summary. Don't like it, don't read it. Don't agree, backread. Idfc.
Anyways welcome back. Latest news.
Not much honesty. If you didn't read the newest update to Devil's Advocate, we have an official community server now. Chat with others, post memes, and in the coming months we'll be hosting giveaways! And not just any giveaways, things like Nitro, Spotify Premium, etc etc etc.
Also new, the official ! Find the link on Discord, Tik Tok, or Instagram. Which ig if you didn't read the other update you wouldn't know I have unless you came here from the posted ads. So below is the info.
TT: @kit_kat_kata
IG: @_kit_kat_kata_
There's like a zillion ways to find the server, through Disboard, Discord itself by searching "Kit-Kat-Kata Fan Base", or by going to my IG or TT.
So besides the new pfp I think thats everything. Anyways, again, welcome back, have a lovely day, and enjoy the story.
THANK YOU TO OUR BETA-READERS! :
TRIGGER WARNINGS: Suicidal thoughts, familial abuse
If any of these topics cause you psychological harm, please read with caution, or just don't read at all. You have been warned, and all liability now falls on YOUR shoulders. But please be careful.
Chapter 7
Sigyn groaned, her eyelids heavy as marble. What… what had happened? Wait. Where was she?! She tried to wake herself up, but everything was spinning. She couldn't focus, and there was a ringing in her ears that drowned out even the few thoughts she managed to grasp onto.
She flinched as something cold, wet, and coarse slithered over her face. It stopped moving for a second, then went back to moving. It felt like ice on her body. Was she running a fever? She still couldn't open her eyes when she felt her head getting higher, no, someone was lifting her up, and that wet thing was on her back.
As it swept over her, a branch of unease passed over her and she felt something catch on her back, around the middle. With each gentle swipe on her back, the pain and aches in her body seemed to be drawn out and into the thing.
After what was either only minutes or an eternity, the ringing grew quiet. Finally. She could focus now and figure out what was going on. Back track. How did she get here.
It started with the battle. They had been about to lose, but the others had shown up. She had snuck off, killed their king, their prince, and sent the other off to die. That part was clear. But then…. Yes, she had taken the head in her bag; the armies had been returning to the city to celebrate the victory and the peace treaty. There had been so much cheering.
But what then? How had she ended up in this… whatever this place was, with gentle hands kneading her arm, a cold rag on her face. Yes, that cold wet thing was a rag.
She had taken the head and she… had gone to see Father. Yes, it was getting clearer now. Had he hit her over the head for what she had done? Yes, that seemed most likely. Her body started to relax.
He had hit her over the head, the guards or more likely Lylith had grabbed her and she was in the healing center now. Everything was fine. She let herself relax into the hands, sinking back into sleep.
—--
Sigyn hummed, waking up, feeling better than she had in a long while. Her body felt light, and her mind was calm and clear. It was a nice feeling.
She sat up and stretched, but froze midway.
This was not the healing center.
It was a cave, furnished like a healing center, but it looked melded with the stone. There must have been a hundred types of herbs hanging on a rack to dry. She looked down at herself quickly. She was just wearing a chest wrapping and some sort of trousers, in a cot that felt like moss.
Her head shot up when she heard something outside. Bird call, or something else? She had to find out.
Sigyn snuck out of the bed, and grabbed a bulky pestle to defend herself with, not seeing any other weapons available. Luckily, she had experience moving silently through her environment.
She hid next to a boulder at the entrance and looked out. There was a group of people in a clearing. No, those weren't people. Several of them were satyrs, and there was a centaur. What was she doing here?
One of the beings in a pale green robe and long blonde hair turned and started walking back to the cave. Sigyn rushed back to the cot, sitting down, deciding to trust that whoever they were. They must not mean her harm if they spent time healing her.
The pale green-robed being walked in, their hair in a half bun as she could now see, and they had pointed ears. An elf.
They looked at her in shock, then smiled. "Good afternoon, Princess. I take it you're feeling better?"
"Yes. Thank you…?"
They bowed. "I am Alistair, your Highness, one of the woodland elves."
"I see. How did I get here?"
They looked at her in confusion, "What do you mean?"
Sigyn frowned, "I have no memory of coming here. What did my father do to me that required you to step in?"
They took a breath in and sat in front of her on a stool, "Your Highness, you ran from the palace."
"What?!"
"Yes, you were running like your life depended on it. You ran right past the centaur battalion at the forest's edge. They tried to stop you, but you were in a fog, and you tripped and fell down a waterfall. We managed to pull you out before you drowned, and we brought you here."
"I–" she looked down at her hands.
She felt like she remembered the feeling of running and falling, but it was all a haze.
"I'm not sure–"
"It's all right, your Highness. You received a… substantial shock to your system." Alistair took a breath in, "After we pulled you from the river and patched up your head, we sent scouts to find out what happened."
"And?"
They reached out and took her hand, "The king has shut the city up. We could barely get in to talk to the guard who met us at the border."
"What?! Why would he–"
"The king is claiming that you went with the army to fight off Pemica, and we swept in, killed everyone, and you with them."
"That's ridiculous! The people saw–"
Alistair held up their hand, "I understand, your Highness. Trust me. That is not the issue here."
"What is?"
"It's why you ran off." They squeezed her hand, "The guard told us that you went to meet with the king, and he tried to kill you."
Her breath caught in her throat, and images flashed through her head. Yes… that's what had happened, wasn't it. But how was she here?
"They said your handmaid pushed you out of the way at the last second, and–"
She gasped, letting go of Alistair and recoiling against the wall.
"Stop. Shut up. You're lying."
They took a breath as Sigyn clutched the wall, shaking. She wouldn't accept this. Lylith couldn't be dead. She refused.
"I understand it was a massive shock to watch your father do that to someone you–"
She clapped her hands over her ears, "NO. JUST STOP. SHE'S OKAY. SHE HAS TO BE OKAY!"
She felt tears pricking at her eyes, but when she closed them all she could see was the image of Lylith imprinted on her eyelids, blood dripping from lifeless, smiling eyes. Sigyn felt Alistair drape a blanket over her and leave.
She fell back onto the bed, her throat closing up, sobs unable to leave her chest.
—--
Sigyn sighed, adjusting her sleeves.
"Are you sure you want to do this, your Highness? That castle has been abandoned for–"
"I'm sure, Alistair. And the fact that it's been abandoned is exactly why I'm choosing it. It's small, and my father won't look for me there."
"What about your brother? Are you sure you want to leave him there?"
She sighed, fiddling with a bag strap. "What choice is that? Leave him with our parents where he can grow up as happy as he can, where I can find a way to still see him, or take him from our parents and risk ruining everything."
"I understand. But, your Highness, there's something you should know."
"Yes?"
"Word has spread in the forest that you're moving to that castle. Since the king has chased you out and become intolerable, and has all but sent people to try and kill us, many are considering moving out with you."
She held up her hands. "I would never–"
Alistair stopped her, "Yes, I know. You would never force them to leave their homes. But you must understand that the only reason we haven't been wiped out yet is that the majority of the people—and the entire army—are loyal to you right now. You rallied the people together, and they're not believing in the king."
"So why follow me?"
"Because they're loyal to you, and they don't want to take the chance that some zealots will try to do something. They're resilient; we all are. We can start over, especially when we know you can keep us safe."
Sigyn looked at the ground, her heart feeling hollow. How could she keep them safe when she couldn't even save her?
Alistair put their hand on her shoulder. "It wasn't your fault, Sigyn. And you shouldn't be alone."
She sighed, "Fine. But I cannot promise to protect them. I am not all-powerful."
"No. You're not. You're human, and smart. That's power enough. Now, are you ready?"
She sighed, nodding, "Yeah. Yeah, I am."
Alistair led her outside and helped her onto a horse, getting on their own, and they took off for a distant mountain.
Times were changing.
—--
Two years later
Sigyn yawned, sitting up in the bed and stretching. It was way too early for the birds to start singing. Someone knocked on the door and she tapped a rune on the table next to her bed, letting Melissa into the room.
They smiled at her, their brown curls tied up tightly to their scalp, "Morning, Sigyn. Sleep well?"
"Better than other nights." She got out of the bed, stretching again. "What news do you have?"
They handed her a scroll, "A new wave of civilians from King Roman's territory arrived in the city late last night."
She looked over the scroll. "We have a baker and his family, a jeweler, a toymaker, two more farmers, and an entire squad of guards? Impressive."
"Indeed." Melissa tapped a part of the scroll, "And they brought news of King Roman's territory."
"Oh?" She kept reading, then frowned. "The land is dying?"
"That's what they reported, Ma'am. I asked the scouts to be ready to go on mission at your request."
"Very good, thank you. Anything else to report?"
"No, Ma'am. Civilian satisfaction is higher this quarter than last, the economy is booming, and the newest sector of the city on the Northwest side has been completed by the stonemasons and the dwarves."
"Lovely. How are relations between everyone?"
"New citizens are being reported to settle into the way of life within two to three weeks. The craftspeople working with the dwarves are reporting high levels of productivity. The elves and farmers have started work on hardier crops that will produce more food. Centaurs and herders, however, keep having certain altercations, especially when drunk."
"Put in a request for them to see me at their earliest convenience so we can resolve the issue. Has the Wizard's Tower responded to us yet?"
Melissa handed her a sealed scroll. "Yes, Ma'am. It arrived by phoenix this morning."
Her eyes went wide as she took the scroll. "The head of the tower themselves reached out?!" She scanned the scroll, then grinned. "They've agreed to a meeting to discuss joining our city!"
Melissa grinned with her. "That's wonderful, Sigyn!"
She grabbed a curtain and stepped into the changing corner, slipping into day clothes. "Indeed. It means we can progress the city much faster, and allow for progress of magic and inventions, and perhaps allow for life to become easier for the civilians."
"You've done such wonderful things so far, Ma'am, and…"
Sigyn frowned. "What is it?"
"Well, some of the people are speaking of an election."
"Ah, yes. I brought that up to the leaders at one point. I suggested we allow the citizens to choose a general leader and council of group leaders so things can be run smoothly. I'm glad that the people are agreeable to it."
"They're more than agreeable to it, Ma'am. In fact, they're suggesting who they wish to vote in as the Queen Regent."
"What is the general consensus?" Sigyn walked to her desk, grabbing a quill. "I'm supposing that it is Marlena of the High Elves?"
"No, Ma'am. They're suggesting voting you in."
She looked up suddenly. "What?! Why me?!"
"Well, Ma'am, they all followed you here, and you've provided them a better life than most had ever seen, even before the invasion years back. You've led to better relationships between the peoples, and you've managed to smooth over almost every issue you've found. You even managed to get the dwarves to agree to join us! And they are notorious for being stubborn, and hating all others, even certain sects of dwarves!"
Her eye twitched. "Why do people always look to me to lead?! I'm getting tired of this."
Melissa laughed, "Well, my sincere apologies, Ma'am, but people trust you." They looked at the scroll. "Also, it's almost time to check in with your brother."
Sigyn smiled, "I haven't talked to Aiden in ages."
She stood and walked to the mirror in the corner, and sat in front of it, waiting. After a few minutes, the mirror went hazy, stopped reflecting her, and became a new image, one of a little boy, who beamed and cheered.
"Siggy!"
She laughed, "Aren't you getting a little old for that, DenDen?"
"Neverrrrrr," he giggled, golden hair falling in his face. "How are you?"
"I'm wonderful, and everyone here is doing well."
"How is Melissa?"
Sigyn waved them over, and Melissa laughed and waved hello at the little prince. "Hello, your Highness. You're looking well."
"Haiiiii."
"Hello to you, too. I must take my leave now; have fun, you two."
Melissa left, leaving Aiden giggling.
Sigyn took a breath in, "How's Mum?"
"She's good, but she looks sad a lot. Mummy and Daddy aren't eating together anymore."
"They aren't?" she frowned. "Do you know what he's up to?"
"Nuh uh, but he yells a lot about traitors and deserters."
She waved her hand. "They're not traitors. They're just the people who came to my city. Anything else?"
He pursed his lips, then nodded. "Uh huh! I heard him shouting sumthin about a monster, darkness, and destruction."
"I see. Did you get the package I sent you?"
He beamed and jumped up, grabbing a box and sitting back down. "Right here!"
"Well, what are you waiting for? Open it!"
He ripped open the box and gasped in delight, holding up a beautiful castle playset with little soldier dolls, and an entire little basket of candies.
"The dwarves are renowned for their toy-making skills. When they heard I like to send you gifts, they made you this. Press that button on the side and step away."
He put it on the floor, pressed the button, and stepped away. He gasped in delight as the castle sprung up, quadrupling in size.
"They said it's an exact model of the castle I live in, and that little button makes transport and movement much easier."
"I love it, Siggy." He hugged the mirror, then looked a little sad. "When are you coming home?"
She flinched, looking at her hands. "I'm sorry, Den, but I can't come home. Once things settle down, I promise I'll send a letter to Mum and invite her and you out here for a week so we can spend time together. You might even get to stay. But I can't be around Dad. I'll explain it when you're a bit older, I swear on my life."
He nodded. "Okay, Siggy. I love you."
"Love you too, DenDen. Talk to you next week. Tell Mum 'hi' from me."
He nodded, giggling, and the connection broke. She took a breath in and stood up. Time to get back to work.